Mind Your Genes! The Dark Legacy of Eugenics Lives On

August 9, 2016

(Australian Broadcasting Co) – ‘Genes can have up to 80 per cent of influence on students’ academic performance.’ When I saw that headline recently, a shiver shot down my spine. Researchers have found that our genetic makeup plays a surprisingly large role in how well or poorly we do at school. By studying pairs of genetically related twins—children who usually share the same home, school environment, and biological inheritance—they can work out what contribution our genes make. I felt a similar discomfort when I first reported on research into the genetics of psychopathic behaviour in children.

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